Allowing immigrants to be uncouth,gave us our freedom; defending others’ liberty,is what has saved our freedom.

Next, the French, and by their own—and harder—pathsought freedom; all ‘round the world and here, at home,our slaves, too, craved our freedom.

Through repetition, much un-truthcame to pass for true; for what we wished were true,but knew for false, we waived our freedom.

Historians will find the Statue of Libertystood, dry-shod; blasé, we watch as rising seaslap and lave our freedom.

We’ve picked the well-behaved, the misbehavedand crazed to lead us; my soul, know now with what the roadto hell is paved—our freedom

William Dennis began to compose this ghazal optimistically. World affairs changed mid-stream and the mood of successive sher changed noticeably. He has been attempting ghazal for several years and in addition to appearances in The Ghazal Page, his ghazal have appeared in Contemporary Ghazals and Eastern Structures.